REGIONAL DISTILLERIES JOIN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

Bridgetown, Barbados – 22 April 2020: As the
world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, CARICOM rum producers have
modified their production lines to play their part by producing alcohol and
hand sanitiser and making donations of sanitation products. Across the
Caribbean, contributions have been made to governments, institutions, and
frontline healthcare workers and to support local communities impacted by the
virus.

Some of the initial actions taken by WIRSPA member-producers to assist their various countries include:

• Angosturain
Trinidad & Tobago re-directed one of its product lines towards the creation
of 70,000 bottles bulk and retail size sanitising liquid, which were donated to
front line workers in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Security
in Trinidad. A donation was also made to community-based organizations working
with senior citizens and children’s homes and a shipment was sent to the
prisons. The venture was part of the company’s aim to combat the spread of the
virus and to assist with meeting the demand for sanitisers, which are in short
supply.

• Antigua Distillery in
Antigua & Barbuda has made 4,300 litres of 70% alcohol readily available to
produce hand sanitiser and disinfectant. The company has further made donations
to Emergency and Essential Workers in Antigua and Barbuda to include Health
& Medical Personnel, EMS, the Police & National Guard, Her Majesty’s
Prison, and other persons on the front line. In addition, the company has
supported the Government’s social initiative to provide care packages to the
most affected in the society by providing the aforementioned sanitising
products and bottled water to those in need.

• Casa Brugal in the
Dominican Republic provided hospitals and public centers with 150,000 litres
of 70% denatured alcohol donated through the National Health Service
(SNS), for the purpose of using it as a disinfectant to protect patients and
health personnel on the front line of the crisis. Another WIRSPA member,
Vinícola Del Norte, partnered with Casa Brugal and packaging companies
Plastidel and Nesplas to package the alcohol and provide containers and boxes
so that the donation could be delivered swiftly and safely.

• Demerara Distillers in
Guyana donated approximately 12,000 litres of Environ, an alcohol-based
sanitising cleaner, to institutions around Guyana, such as senior citizen’s
homes, orphanages, night shelters and prisons. In addition, 254 five-gallon
bottles of Environ were given to the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC),
for distribution to public agencies such as health centers, public hospitals,
post offices and police stations.

• Grenada Distillers produced
some 1,200 cases of sanitising solution that was made available to all
supermarkets and pharmacies island wide, with free distribution to various
senior citizens’ and children’s homes. In addition, in collaboration with the
Government of Grenada, sanitiser was donated to the public transport /bus
association, traffic department, prison and other law enforcement entities.
Hand sanitisers were also provided for all GDL employees.

• J. Wray and Nephew in
Jamaica donated 50,000 litres of high strength alcohol and 20,000 litres of
hand sanitizers to the national health service, through the National Health
Fund (NHF) to ensure that public health facilities maintain international
standards in responding to Jamaicans needs during this time. JWN also provided
hand sanitizers to all staff, to first responders including police, fire
brigade and vulnerable members of their communities including children’s home
and infirmaries. JWN has committed US$37,000 to the Private Sector Organization
of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Jamaica Fund, which will provide support for the Jamaican
Government and persons affected by COVID-19.

• Mount Gay Distilleries in
Barbados donated 2,000 bottles of hand sanitiser (WHO formula) to health
officials, with a further estimated total of 28,000 bottles to be handed over
for community outreach. Hand sanitisers were distributed to all staff with
anti-COVID-19 procedures.

• National Rums of Jamaica has
ramped up production to ensure all excess capacity can be utilized to produce
alcohol for denaturing, to supply to local manufacturers and the Government to
make sanitization products. Just over 10,000 liters of 95% denatured
alcohol was donated to the National Health Fund, for use in the national
fight against COVID-19.

• Ron Barceló in the
Dominican Republic has allocated a significant part of their alcohol production
to donations of ethyl alcohol and sanitising hand gel to support the efforts
towards reducing the risk of contagion among the Dominican population from
COVID-19. It also started a public campaign under the hashtag #juntosporrd
(together for DR).

A first donation of 32,000+
litres of 75% ethyl alcohol, in 145 tanks of 220 litres were distributed to 12
hospitals across the Dominican Republic, as identified and classified by the
public health authorities. The first donation was followed by another 100,000
units of sanitising hand gel, distributed among the general population as part
of a program lead by a worldwide recognized non-profit organization.

Ultimately, a third donation of
100,000 bottles of sanitising hand gel is to be distributed among delivery
service employees and mom and pop’s stores, some other medium and small
retailers that are currently working within the rank of “strictly
indispensable”, during the declared state of emergency.

• St. Lucia Distillers has
produced a 70% ABV rubbing alcohol sanitiser which helped alleviate an island
wide shortage of sanitiser for citizens. Some 20,000 bottles of bulk and retail
sizes were donated to schools, the police and fire departments and to
homes for the elderly, to help keep the most vulnerable on island safe.

• St. Vincent Distillers Ltd. produced
Mt. Bentick’s Hand Sanitiser, a disinfectant solution developed using the WHO’s
guidelines to meet the demand for desperately needed hand sanitiser in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, A first donation, of some 13 cases, was donated to
the country’s first responders, health care workers, police station, clinics
and hospitals.

• Suriname Alcoholic Beverages
N.V. made initial donations of up to 10,000 hand sanitisers to the
Public Health Agency and other government institutions, with more donations
projected in the coming days. Ready-to use disinfectant alcohol is also being
sold at cost, to other local businesses active in the sale and distribution of
hand sanitisers and detergents. Joint projects with local beer companies and
other businesses are also underway to produce hand gels and hand sanitisers
with a variety of fragrances.

• Travellers Liquors in
Belize reconfigured its distillery and packaging facility into a production
centre to manufacture the alcohol-based hand sanitiser according to the WHO’s
formula. Several batches were made totaling about 4800 litres in half gallon,
litre and personal sizes, and donated to the public hospital, senior citizens
homes, the Customs and Police Departments. Local organisations also benefited
from the donations – Hope Haven Food Bank, San Pedro Polyclinic and the San
Pedro Isolation/Flu Unit.

• West Indies Rum Distillery in
Barbados has donated 55-gallon containers of hand sanitiser to the Barbados
Government for use at fire stations, COVID isolation centers and the Customs
department. It ramped up production to meet increased local demand from
pharmacies, supermarkets and companies that produce retail products with
surgical alcohol.

West Indies Rum has been
providing staff and contractors each with disinfectant weekly for their
personal and family use, for the duration of this pandemic. West Indies Rum has
also been exporting alcohol to neighbouring Caribbean countries since the start
of the pandemic, to satisfy much needed supplies.

• Westerhall Estate Ltd. in
Grenada shifted from rum to production of hand sanitiser. Approximately 14,000
bottles of the solution, in 250ml and 1.75L quantities, were produced and
donated to prisons, medical facilities, police stations and assisted living
homes. The 69% proof alcohol-based sanitiser will become a permanent fixture on
the product line.

Mr Komal Samaroo

WIRSPA
Chairman, Komal Samaroo, “These contributions are just an early
snapshot of our engagement to date, with many producers committed to further
steps in the days ahead.

We are encouraging everyone to
monitor their physical and mental health during this pandemic.

We are also encouraging consumers that if they choose to
drink, to do so responsibly and be careful not to use alcohol as a coping
mechanism for stress and anxiety, especially while in isolation.”